exaggerated
Americanadjective
-
unduly or unrealistically magnified.
to have an exaggerated opinion of oneself.
-
abnormally increased or enlarged.
adjective
-
unduly or excessively magnified; enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
-
pathol abnormally enlarged
an exaggerated spleen
Other Word Forms
- exaggeratedly adverb
- nonexaggerated adjective
- nonexaggeratedly adverb
- self-exaggerated adjective
- unexaggerated adjective
Etymology
Origin of exaggerated
First recorded in 1545–55; exaggerate + -ed 2
Explanation
Exaggerated describes something that's been overstated, or described as more impressive than it really is. Your exaggerated details stretched the truth, but they sure made your story funny and memorable. Something that is exaggerated is described as better or bigger than it actually is, like your exaggerated description of the terrible day you had. Exaggerated can also describe something that is oversized, like the exaggerated collar on a funky sweater. The original meaning of exaggerated, in the early 1500s, was "piled up or accumulated." To spell exaggerate correctly, think of bragger.
Vocabulary lists containing exaggerated
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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"Fine?" Vocabulary from the short story
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The Pigman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Reports of the prime minister's demise are greatly exaggerated.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
The Pentagon described this and other lurid reports of the meeting as “highly exaggerated and distorted.”
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
“Recent reporting of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted. The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion,” the Pentagon said in a statement on X.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
"Recent reporting of the meeting is highly exaggerated and distorted," the Pentagon said on X. "The meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials was a respectful and reasonable discussion."
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
She didn’t actually need to ask, since of course we were going to work together, but she made an exaggerated you, me? gesture, and I grinned and nodded back.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
